Ice-Free North Pole—This Summer?

June 27, 2008 at 7:25 pm (frightening things) (, , , )

Via Treehugger, reporting on this CNN article.

Over the past few years, scientists have been predicting that a total melting of the geographic north pole will occur around 2050. But with each day, it seems, predictions get dramatically more dire.

Yeah yeah, you’re thinking. I know.

But get this.

Based on information gathered by The National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, CO, the center’s senior research scientist says: “We kind of have an informal betting pool going around in our center and that betting pool is ‘does the North Pole melt out this summer?’ and it may well.”

Granted, it’s expected that should the ice melt away completely from that spot, it will re-form shortly after. But still. The bet is 50/50. For THIS summer.

Shite.

7 Comments

  1. Daisy said,

    June 27, 2008 at 7:33 pm

    And so recently we were upset about the possibility that they’d be gone by 2012. Dear God.

  2. Daran said,

    June 27, 2008 at 7:55 pm

    It will take a lot longer to melt Antartica.

    By the way, is “shite” as a variant on “shit” much in use in the US? I tend to associate it with Scotland, since I never heard it in actual use until I moved here (from South England.) Of course, a great many Americans have Scots ancestry

  3. Emily said,

    June 27, 2008 at 8:00 pm

    Indeed.

    And, no, it’s not much in use in the U.S. Not sure where that came from, in this case.

  4. Daran said,

    June 27, 2008 at 8:18 pm

  5. Emily said,

    June 27, 2008 at 8:20 pm

    I got: “This video is not allowed in your country.” :(

  6. Daran said,

    June 27, 2008 at 10:03 pm

    Can you see this one? It has some of the footage from the other one at 4:45-4:55.

  7. Emily said,

    June 28, 2008 at 1:42 am

    Yes, that one I can view. That’s the stuff of nightmares right there. Eep!

Comments are closed.